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Bridging Art and Science: INL’s Role in Braga 2025 – Portuguese Capital of Culture

In 2025, Braga holds the prestigious title of Portuguese Capital of Culture, with a diverse array of initiatives that highlight the city’s rich cultural heritage and the vast spectrum of artistic expressions it nurtures. This year, INL has actively contributed to the celebration by fostering a connection between the worlds of art and science, emerging as a key partner in promoting the accessibility of science to the wider community. To solidify this partnership, INL joined forces with Faz Cultura – Empresa Municipal de Cultura de Braga, culminating in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing the Braga 25 artistic programme. This collaboration represents a significant step towards deepening the city’s cultural landscape and creating lasting synergies between artistic and scientific domains. Beyond the institutional partnership, INL is also engaged in two artistic projects: Counter-Kiosk and The Shape of Neighbourhood, both curated by the Space Transcribers collective. These projects offer a platform for collaborative artistic residencies, where selected artists will work closely with INL researchers to create a dialogue that fuses the creative processes of both scientists and artists. The core aim is to build bridges of innovation, creativity, and cultural exchange, benefitting not only the artists and researchers but the wider community as well. In March 2025, visual artist and researcher Miguel Teodoro took part in an artistic residency at INL […]

INL Celebrates International Day of Light 2025 with Focus on Quantum Science and Technology

On May 16, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) held a public event dedicated to quantum science and technology, marking the International Day of Light 2025. This year’s edition aligned with the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025), commemorating a century since the foundation of quantum theory. The event featured engaging presentations from INL researchers on key topics in quantum research, including photon-based quantum computing, diamond quantum sensors in neuroscience, and the role of topological materials in light detection. These talks aimed to make cutting-edge quantum technologies more accessible to the general public. Visitors also took part in guided tours of INL’s advanced research facilities, including labs for electron microscopy, nanofabrication, and quantum sensing technologies. Live demonstrations gave attendees a closer look at how INL scientists use light at the quantum level to drive innovation in nanotechnology and materials science. The event was organised in collaboration with UNESCO’s International Day of Light, the MICRODIA node of the Portuguese Platform of Bioimaging (PPBI), and the IYQ2025 global initiative. It concluded with a networking coffee break, an interactive science quiz, and a Q&A session with researchers, encouraging dialogue between the scientific community and the public. Through events like this, INL […]

Interview with António Costa: Where 2D Materials Meet Quantum Innovation

Since earning his PhD in 1998, António Costa—Associate in the Rossier Research Group—has dedicated his research to the theoretical exploration of low-dimensional magnetic systems, with a particular emphasis on spin excitations. By combining analytical approaches with computational modeling, he investigates how magnetic materials respond to external influences such as magnetic fields and electrical currents, uncovering fundamental mechanisms that underpin their behavior. Your research focuses on 2D materials and the interface between plasmonics and magnonics. What recent breakthroughs stand out in your work?On the magnonics side, we have been studying the spin excitations of a new kind of magnetic materials called altermagnets. These have properties that are sort of in-between ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. We have demonstrated that the lifetime of magnons in metallic altermagnets can be highly anisotropic, a property that can be exploited technologically to guide magnons along certain paths in the material. Further details can be found in the publication here.On the magnonics/plasmonics interface, we have shown that graphene plasmons can couple strongly to the low-energy magnons in a 2D insulating ferromagnet, which can be uses as a new way to probe magnons in 2D materials, and also as a way to convert a magnetic into an electric signal and […]

INL Hosts 2025 International Day of Light Event with a Focus on Quantum Science and Technology

INL will celebrate the International Day of Light 2025 with a focus on quantum science and technology—an afternoon of exploring how light at the quantum level transforms innovation. The event is aligned with the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, a global initiative highlighting the transformative role of quantum science in shaping the future of technology, innovation, and human understanding.This year’s theme explores the quantum foundations of light and their growing impact across scientific disciplines. From quantum computation and communication to sensing and imaging, light at the quantum level reveals new ways to address some of today’s most complex technological challenges.The International Day of Light 2025 promises an engaging afternoon of knowledge-sharing and discovery. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear from leading researchers in quantum materials and photonics, including talks on quantum computation with photons, diamond-based quantum sensing for neuroscience, and the role of topological materials in light detection. Participants can also take guided tours of INL’s laboratories, including live demonstrations of quantum sensing experiments, and explore facilities dedicated to electron microscopy and micro- and nanofabrication. A coffee break and informal networking session will provide opportunities for dialogue, while a science-themed quiz and interactive Q&A session will conclude […]

INL Colloquia Series Explores Living Materials with Leading Researcher Dr. Anna Sandak

INL will host Dr. Anna Sandak as the featured speaker for the May edition of the INL Colloquia Series 2025. A leader in sustainable architecture and advanced materials, Dr. Sandak will share her visionary work on Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) — a new class of bio-integrated materials that bring adaptability, self-regeneration, and environmental responsiveness into the built environment. Her talk will highlight groundbreaking research from two major EU-funded projects: ARCHI-SKIN, which develops living coating systems for buildings using fungal biofilms, and REMEDY, a new initiative exploring bespoke, living layers for architecture — so-called archibiome tattoos — that blend aesthetics with functionality. By merging biotechnology with material science, Dr. Sandak’s work is redefining sustainability in architecture and opening the door to a future where buildings can grow, heal, and evolve with their surroundings. About Dr. Anna Sandak Dr. Sandak is the Deputy Director for Science and Head of the Materials Department at InnoRenew CoE in Slovenia, and an Associate Professor at the University of Primorska. With a strong background in biology and wood science, she has led over a dozen major research projects, including the ERC Consolidator Grant project ARCHI-SKIN and the EIC Pathfinder project REMEDY. Her research focuses on integrating living systems into construction materials to create eco-adaptive and regenerative buildings. About INL Colloquia Series 2025 The INL Colloquia Series 2025 is an inspiring monthly […]

Graphene-based biosensor breaks detection records for non-invasive monitoring of diabetes

A breakthrough biosensor detects glucose in human tears at ultra-low concentrations, opening new avenues for wearable health monitoring technologies. In a significant leap toward the future of diabetes care, INL researchers have developed a graphene-based biosensor capable of detecting glucose at attomolar levels—representing the lowest detection limits ever achieved for this crucial biomarker. It’s comparable to finding a single grain of sugar dissolved in an entire lake. The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and led by Dr. Andrea Capasso at INL, introduces an ultra-sensitive glucose sensor based on graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) technology. Engineered to operate with extremely small volumes of biological fluid – down to a single tear -, this device has the potential to revolutionise glucose monitoring, particularly in non-invasive and wearable systems. The researchers developed a targeted graphene functionalisation using glucose oxidase (GOx), enabling highly selective glucose recognition. They then employed advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to analyse the graphene’s chemical composition and surface modifications at each stage of functionalisation, from enzyme immobilisation to interaction with the target analyte. “While finger-prick sensors remain the clinical standard for diabetes monitoring, they are often perceived as uncomfortable and invasive,” says Dr. Capasso. “Our goal […]

Registrations Now Open for INL Open Day 2025

Step Inside the Future of Science – May 31, 2025 | Braga, Portugal The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) invites the public to a unique and immersive journey into the world of science and innovation at the INL Open Day 2025, taking place on Saturday, May 31, in Braga, Portugal. For one day only, INL opens its doors to curious minds of all ages — offering a rare glimpse inside one of Europe’s leading research centres in nanotechnology. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge laboratories, interact with world-class researchers, and experience how science is shaping a more sustainable and connected future. From interactive experiments and artistic installations to live performances and family-friendly workshops, the event promises to ignite curiosity and celebrate the power of discovery. Highlights include: Participation is free of charge, but registration is required to ensure access to guided tours and hands-on activities. 📍 Join us at INL, Braga | 🗓️ Saturday, 31 May 2025 Reserve your spot now! Let’s explore the future of science — together. + REGISTER + PROGRAMME

German Ambassador Visits INL to Strengthen Scientific Collaboration

On 28th April 2025, Dr. Julia Monar, the Ambassador of Germany to Lisbon, visited the headquarters of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), highlighting the importance of bilateral collaboration in advancing scientific and technological research. Professor Ado Jório de Vasconcelos, the Deputy Director-General of INL, welcomed the Ambassador and provided an overview of the laboratory’s scope of activities. Professor Ado emphasised INL’s mission to excel in nanoscale research for the benefit of society and its pivotal role as a hub for innovation. Dr. Sascha Sadewasser, Research Group Leader at INL, then presented the ongoing work within the Hi-BITS project, an EU-funded initiative focused on developing highly efficient solar cells using copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). With four German partners – Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Martin-Luther Universität Halle’s (MLU), Greendelta (GDL), and Avancis GmbH (AVA) -, Hi-BITS aims to improve efficiency, reduce material use, and expand solar applications in buildings, vehicles, and agriculture, by creating bifacial and semi-transparent cells. The project involves testing in different climates and sustainability studies, with a consortium of top European research institutions and companies working together to advance solar technology. During the presentation, Dr. Sadewasser also highlighted INL’s involvement in the APECS (Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems) Pilot […]

No assumptions: just quantum advantage

INL researcher Michael de Oliveira, together with collaborators from the University of Cambridge and the Hon Hai (Foxconn) Quantum Computing Research Center, has published a new article in Nature Communications demonstrating that even small, noisy quantum circuits can outperform certain types of classical computation, without relying on assumptions or ideal conditions. This study focuses on constant-depth quantum circuits, meaning that all operations happen in parallel in a very short time – like multiple people completing a task simultaneously rather than one after another. The researchers show that these simple quantum circuits can solve specific problems that no classical circuit of the same kind and size can solve, even when those classical circuits are modelled after neural networks, with tuneable flexibility. The classical models studied here (biased threshold circuits) are used in theoretical models of machine learning and resemble basic neural networks. Despite the authors considering versions with low bias – and therefore greater versatility – they are still outperformed by shallow quantum circuits, even when the quantum devices are noisy or imperfect. What makes this breakthrough particularly important is that it applies to qudits (quantum systems that go beyond binary bits or qubits), and the results are valid across all […]

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